Method of ornamenting metal surfaces



Feb. 16, 1932. u. DATRI METHOD OF ORNAMENTING METAL SURFACES Filed May21, 1931 Fig.2

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Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UMBERTO IDATRI, OFCANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED METAL PRODUCTS COM- PANY, OFCANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO METHOD OF ORNAMEN TING METALSURFACES Application filed May 21,

A The invention relates to the ornamenting of the surfaces of sheets,plates and the like of stainless steel or other metals to produce aneffect similar to etching.

The object of the improvement is to provide .a method or process forornamenting 1 metal surfaces which may be carried out quickly and easilyand for only a small fraction of the cost of etching metal surfaces.

A further object is to provide means for identically duplicating anydesired ornamentation innumerable times.

The above and other objects may be attained by first providing a mask orstencil from a sheet of copper or other suitable material of the designor ornamentation to be produced upon a sheet or plate of stainlessidentically duplicating any desired ornamented.

The metallic surface to be ornamented is first polished and the mask orstencil is placed upon the polished surface and a liquid coating whichhardens upon drying, and which may be a varnish, paint, enamel orshellac,

. preferably containingbakelite, is sprayed or otherwise applied to themetallic surface,

through the openings in the mask or stencil. The metal sheet or platewith the liquid coating thereon is then placed in an oven or furnace andthe coating baked thereon. This step of the process is preferablyrepeated until three coats of varnish or other liquid coating have beenapplied through the mask or stencil to the same portions of the metalsurface, each coat being baked on.

The mask or stencil is removed and the metallic surface with the bakedcoating design thereon is then subjected to a light abrasive action,being preferably acted upon by what is commonly known in the steelindustry as a Tampico brush; I This brush attacks only the exposedportions of the metal surface but has no effect upon the baked coatingcovering the other portions thereof, and produces on these exposedportions of the metal surface what might be termed a satin finish.

The baked coating isthen removed from the portions of the metal surfacecovered there by, leaving the ornamentation or design beneath the samein polished surfaces of the 1981. Serial No. 538,900.

metal sheet or plate while the remainin port1on of the sheet has theso-called satin nish.

The effect is very similar to etching excepting that there is no portionof the surface eaten away as by etching.

The means for carrying out the improved method or process is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is. an elevation of apolished metal sheet or plate to be ornamented by the improved method orprocess;

Fig. 2, a similar view of the mask or stencil having the design orornamentation etched or cut therein;

Fig. 3, a sectional View showing the mask upon the Inetal'sheet or plateto be ornamented;

Fig. 4, an elevation of the metal sheet or plate with the ornamentationor design of the mask or stencil produced thereon by varnish or othercoating covering portions of the surface to be ornamented; and

Fig. 5, a similar view showing the ornamented metal surface with theornamentation or design shown in polished portions of the surface andthe background or remainder of the surface having the satin finish.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

Recently metal sheets or plates, particularly stainless or rustlesssteels and irons, have come into great favor for ornamenting not onlythe exteriors of oflice buildings and the like but also the interiorsthereof, par ticularly for lobbies, elevator entrances and the like ofofiice buildings, hotels, apartment houses and other structures, takingthe place of stone, wood and other materials commonly used for suchpurposes.

Ornamental panels and the like of metal, particularly stainless orrustless steel or iron, are being used especially for such interiordecorations, the panels being ornamented by etching, which is a verycostly and tedious process.

The present invention contemplates a method or process for ornamentingstainless or rustless steel or iron sheets and plates or other metallicsurfaces to produce an effect coating being similar to etching but atonly a fraction of the cost and labor reqpired for etching.

The improved met od or process may be carried out by first polishing themetallic surface to be ornamented as indicated at 10 in Fig. 1. A maskor stencil is then provided, being formed from a sheet of co per orother material as indicated at 11 in Figs. 2 and 3, this mask or stencilbeing of the same size and shape as the metal surface to be ornamented.The design or ornamentation to be roduced is cut, etched or otherwiseremove from the sheet forming the mask or stencil as indicated at- 12 inFigs. 2 and 3.

This mask or stencil is then placed upon the polished metal surface tobe ornamented, entirely covering said surface excepting for the openingsin the mask representing the design.

A liquid coating which hardens upon drj; ing, such as paint, enamel,shellac or varnis referably ase, is then sprayed or otherwise applied tothe exposed portions of the polished metal surface through the openings12 in the mask or stencil, producing the design in varnish or othercoating upon the polished metal surface as indicated at 13 in Fi 4.

After the mask is removed the metal sheet or plate with the varnish orother coating design thereon, as shown in Fig. 4, is then placed in afurnace or oven and the varnish baked and hardened thereon. To obtainthe best results this process may be repeated, preferably three coats ofvarnish or other thus applied to identically the same portions of themetal surface by replacing the mask in the exact position upon the metalsurface and again spraying or otherwise ap ying the varnish to theexposed portions 0 the surface to be ornamented, each coating of varnishor the like being baked before the next coat is applied.

The metal surface with the baked varnish,

' or other coating, design thereon is then subjected to a light abrasiveaction which is preferably produced by means of what is commonly knownin the steel trade as a Tampico brush, this being a rotar brush formedof Tampico fiber which is o tained from a Mexican jalap plant.

The exposed surfaces of the metal sheet, that is those not covered bythe baked coating or varnish or the like, are slightly abraded by theaction of this brush, producing a very beautiful satin finish, althoughthe brush has no effect at all upon the coating of baked varnish or thelike, covering the portions of the sheet which produce the design orornamentation.

To produce the most desirable results, the metallic surface ispreferably given about twelve passes beneath the brush, after which thebaked varnish, or other coatin 13 is removed from the covered portions 0the metal containing or having a bakelite' surface b varnish remover orthe like leaving the esign upon the surface in polished areas asindicate at 14 in Fi 5, the remainmg portion of the metal sur ace havingthe satin finish as indicated at 15 in said figure. The metal surfacethus ornamented by the improved method or process has an appearance vex}similar to etching but, as will be obvious rom the above, is produced atonly a very small fraction of the cost and labor required for etchingthe same design or ornmentation upon a metal surface.

By actual experience it has been found that the ornamentation or desican be applied to a metal surface b t e improved method or process, towhich the invention pertains, for about fifteen per cent of the cost andlabor required for etching.

The same mask may be used over innumerable times to produce theidentical ornamentation u on any desired number of metal sheets, p atesor surfaces, the ornamentation upon al of the surfaces being of courseidentical.

I claim:

1. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, app ying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the o enings in the mask,removing the mask, drying the coating, subjecting the surface to an arasive action, and then removin the coating from the surface.

2. T e method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished met-a1 surface to bedecorated, applying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the o nings in the mask,removing the mask, baking the coating, subjecting the surface to anabrasive action, and then removing the coatin from the surface.

3. The met 0d of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, applying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed t rough the openings in the mask,removin the mask, drying the coatin subjecting tie surface to the actionof a rush, and then removing the coating from the surface.

4. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, u on a olished metal surface to bedecorate app ying a liquid coating which hardens u on drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask, baking the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a brush, and then removing the coating from the surface.

5. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, u on a olished metal surface to bedecorate ap ying a liquid coating which hardens u on rying upon theportions of the metal sur ace exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask, drying the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a rotary brush, and then removing the coating from thesurface.

6. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to edecorated, applying a liquid coating which hardens u on drying upon theportions of the metal sur ace exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask,

' baking the coating, subjecting the surface to the action of a rotarybrush, and then removin the coating from the surface.

The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surfaceto bedecorated, applying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask, drying the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a fiber brush, and then removing the coating from the surface.

8. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, applying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon the.portions of the metal surface exposed through c the openings'in themask, removin the mask, baking the coating, subjecting t e surface tothe action of a fiber brush, and then removing the coating from thesurface.

9. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, ap lying a liquid coating which hardens upon rying u on theportions of the metal surface exposed t rough the openings in the mask,removing the mask, drying the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a Tampico brush, and then removing the coating from thesurface.

10. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polish metal surface to bedecorated, applying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask, baking the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a Tampico brush and then removing the coating from thesurface.

11. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, spraying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed throu h the openings in the mask,removin the mas drying the coating, subjecting t e surface to anabrasive action, and then removing the coating from the surface.

12. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, spraying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask, baking the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a brush, and then removing the coating from the surface.

13. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, spraying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask, drying the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a rotary brush, and then removing the coating from thesurface.

14. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to be"decorated, spraying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask, baking the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a fiber brush, and then removing the coating from the surface.

15. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, spraying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying upon theportions of the metal surface exposed through the openings in the mask,removing the mask, drying the coating, subjecting the surface to theaction of a Tampico brush, and then removing the coating from thesurface.

16. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, applying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying andcontaining bakelite upon the portions of the metal surface exposedthrough the openings in the mask, removing the mask, baking the coating,subjecting the surface to an abrasive action, and then removing thecoating from the surface.

17. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, hav ing openings therein, upon a polished metal surface to bedecorated, applying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying andcontaining bakelite upon the portions of the metal surface exposedthrough the openings in the mask, removing the mask, drying the coating,subjecting the surface to the action of a brush, and then removing thecoating from the surface.

18. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, ing openings therein, u n a polished metal surface to be decor apying a liquid coating which hardens upon rying and containing bakeliteupon the portions of the metal surface exposed through the openings inthe mask, removing the mask, baking the coating, subjectin the surfaceto the action of a rotary brus and then removing the coatin from thesurface.

19. e method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, hav ing openin therein, upon a olished metal surface to decorateapp ying a liqui coating which hardens upon drying and con taininbakelite upon the portions of the met al sur ace exposed through the oenings i1 the mask, removing the mask, rying tht coating, subjecting thesurface to the action of a fiber brush, and then removing the coatingfrom the surface. I

20. The method of decorating metal surfaces which consists in placing amask, having openings therein, u on a polished metal surface to bedecorate applying a liquid coating which hardens upon drying andcontainin bakelite upon the portions of the metal sur ace exposedthrough the openings in the mask, removing the mask, baking the coating,subjecting the surface to the action of a Tampico brush, and thenremoving the coating from the surface.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

e UMBERTO 'DATRI.

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